


this feeling's too good

by paintedstudy



Category: I Was Born for This - Alice Oseman
Genre: Demiromantic Lister Bird, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, hand-holding, in direct defiance of that ask from today, lister pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23619478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedstudy/pseuds/paintedstudy
Summary: Lister asks Jimmy how long he's wanted to be with him.
Relationships: Allister "Lister" Bird/Jimmy Kaga-Ricci
Comments: 16
Kudos: 116





	this feeling's too good

**Author's Note:**

> this is. so soft
> 
> title is from one of one by duendita

**Lister Bird**

"How long?"

I'm hanging out with Jimmy in my bedroom. My head is in his lap, and he's slowly running his fingers through my hair.

"Hm?"

It's late. Or, at least, it feels late. The apartment is super quiet and Jimmy and I have been laying like this for hours.

It doesn't get old. The feeling of his fingers in my hair. The fact that I can hold his hand if I want to. The way I can kiss him, and it won't be desperate, or secretive. I've never had that with someone before.

I begin to smile. "How long have you liked me?"

Jimmy laughs softly and looks up at the ceiling. He glances down at me briefly before he covers my eyes with one hand. I laugh and push his hand away.

"Stop looking at me!" Jimmy laughs again. "I don't- I don't know, okay?"

I nod. "Sure."

He rolls his eyes. I reach up and tug him down for a kiss. I run the pads of my thumbs over his cheeks. He's so warm. "You're blushing so much," I mumble against his lips.

"Shut up," he murmurs.

It's difficult to maintain a kiss when one of you is upside-down. I don't know how Spiderman did it.

Jimmy pulls away and leans back on his hands. I shift so I can see him better.

"I think…" Jimmy begins. I reach behind me and hold his wrist loosely. "I think it's been bound to happen for a while."

I hum. "When did you realise?"

He shrugs. "There wasn't one moment, really."

"Same," I say. That makes him smile.

"It was a few weeks after the Kent thing," he admits. "When I knew for sure."

That's...way earlier than I was expecting. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Jimmy shifts his weight onto one hand, and slides his fingers into mine.

I let out a laugh. "So...before the first time you kissed me?"

He nods.

I chuckle. "God, we're stupid."

"Yeah." He laughs.

I pull his hand to my chest so I can hold it more comfortably.

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"When did you…" He trails off.

I grin. "When did I realise I liked you?"

"Mm-hmm."

"It's embarrassing."

"Nothing you say will make me think less of you," Jimmy promises, though the smile on his face says otherwise.

"Ha-ha," I say sarcastically. "No, uh- " I furrow my brow, trying to pinpoint it. "I think it was...around the time of our first UK tour."

Jimmy's eyebrow shoot comically upward. "Seriously?"

"Mm-hmm. It was, like, the first time we spent properly long amounts of time together. And then after the first few weeks, I was like, 'Ohhhh, fuck'."

"Wow."

"Told you. Embarrassing."

"You don't sound that embarrassed," he points out.

"It's embarrassing for you," I tell him. "That you have such a devoted lunatic as a boyfriend."

"Ahhh, okay."

Jimmy begins to stroke the back of my hand with his thumb.

I close my eyes. I could lie like this forever. "I think you're the only person."

The words come out of my mouth before I can really process them. I realise it's not a lie, though.

"Huh?"

"You're the only person I've liked."

Jimmy snorts. "Bullshit. What about that girl you were obsessed with when we were in Year 9?"

"Who, Clara?"

"Yeah."

I shake my head. "I wasn't obsessed with her. She was the main person I used to get high with. I just hung out with her a lot."

Jimmy hums. It's sort of killing me that I can't see his face properly. I push myself up on my elbow and turn to face him.

"And the guy who you kept Facetiming during our second UK tour?" Jimmy prompts. "I thought you said you liked him."

"Didn't realise you kept such a good mental record of my potential crushes."

Jimmy smiles, but doesn't say anything.

"I thought I liked him, too," I admit. "I was really trying to."

Jimmy frowns.

"Hey, it's not that deep," I assure him. I reach out and touch his face. I let out a laugh. "I just...really like you, and no one else."

His expression relaxes. He sits up, and I kiss him softly. When I pull away, he laces our fingers together and brings my hand to rest in his lap.

"No one else?" he echoes. "Not even, like...growing up?"

I shake my head. "No one."

Jimmy hums. He starts to fiddle with my fingers. "Can't say the same, unfortunately."

"Yeah, I know." I shuffle closer to him. "It evens out, though. With the crushes you've had and the people I've slept with."

Jimmy glances up at me and smiles. He knows I'm just kidding around. "Not sure it does."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Your body count is, what, seven?"

I pause to think about it. "Excluding you, yeah."

"Well, mine is, like, five."

I let out a low whistle. "Damn. You snuck around way more than I thought."

He chuckles. "'S your fault, though."

I can't help but grin. "Is it?" 

"Yes."

"Because you liked me and you didn't know how to tell me."

Jimmy snorts and drops his forehead to my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him in a hug, even though his shoulders are shaking as he laughs.

He groans. I laugh at him and rub his back. "How is it this easy to make you blush?"

Jimmy looks up at me then, indignant. "Piss off."

I can't help but grin. "I'm just saying."

He jabs me in the ribs. I yell and try to twist away from him, but I just end up on my back, narrowly avoiding hitting myself on the headboard. "Ow."

"Did you hit your head?" Jimmy asks, craning his neck as if he expects to see a bump rise from my head.

"No."

"Oh." He looks down at me, confused. "Why'd you say 'Ow' then?"

"You fucking jabbed me in the ribs!" I laugh, poking him in the chest.

Jimmy catches my wrist. He's laughing with me, but he takes a moment to quietly ask, "Did I actually hurt you?"

I shake my head. "Nah, not really."

"Good."

He leans forward and strokes my fringe out of my eyes. It catches me off-guard, and I feel the corners of my mouth tug upwards as he leans in.

I tilt my chin up to meet him in a kiss. He shifts to lean some of his weight on top of me, and his free hand comes to rest on my chest.

Then he rolls away. "Real answer?"

"What?"

"Why I get...flustered easily."

I turn towards him. "Do tell."

Jimmy looks for a moment like he's about to start laughing, but he maintains his composure long enough to say, "It's 'cause I like you."

"Aww, really? How cute."

He snorts. I prop myself up on my elbow and lean in until I'm just centimetres away from kissing him.

I sigh. "Pity I don't like you back."

Jimmy gasps. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Damn. I thought I remembered you saying the opposite."

I smile. "Maybe so."

"Don't quote memes at me when you're about to kiss me."

I sneak a kiss on the lips. "Too late."

"Ugh."

I lower myself down until I'm lying on top of Jimmy. He crosses his arms over my waist.

I turn my head to look at him. It's difficult, from this angle - he's so close, I can barely focus my eyes. He's got this soft smile on his face. I feel myself start to grin too.

Jimmy glances my way and kisses me, soft and quick. "What was that for?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Dunno. You're cute."

That makes me smile wider. "Excuse me?"

He looks embarrassed by the question, but insists, "You are."

"You are talking to one of MTV's Sexiest Men Alive."

He nods his head to the side. "Fair."

Jimmy seems prepared to let it go, but after a moment I push myself up with one hand and tell him, "Say it again."

He rolls his eyes at first but he indulges me. "You're cute."

I grin. "I'm what?"

He starts to laugh. "Cute."

"That's a new one," I say as I lie back down. "I've heard sexy, gorgeous, hot, fit- "

"Fucking hell." He laughs.

" -But never 'cute'."

Jimmy shakes his head. "Well, that's mine now, I guess."

That sounds good to me.


End file.
